Social studies: Swine Flu

An important aspect of our society is our health status, and as a new, and serious sickness is developing I fint it right to blog about it.

Health officials worldwide rush to contain a spreading swine flu outbreak. As many as 103 deaths in Mexico are thought to have been caused by swine flu.

Historians have always said that a new pandemic like the Spanish Influenza, the black death and SARS will strike our world and kill millions of people sooner or later in the future.

May this disease, the swine flu, be that next pandemic?

The latest news right now (14:23 GMT) is that four persons have been hospitalized in Denmark due to symptoms related to the disease, and one man is being tested in Haugesund.

I'm grateful for living in a priviledged country like Norway in which millions of vaccines have been stored for a situation like this, but I sure hope we never reach the step were our survival depends on them. My thougts go to victims in Mexico and to their families.

The Nothing-To-Do Generation

I recently read an article in which the author tries to determine what British youths are like today. The author uses the following words:
“Theft, burglary, twoc (1), assault”

Hm, kind of generalizing I would say, but the sad fact is that this is actually the case. Young Britons differ from other youths by how they spend their spare time. The typical British youth is a hanging around a lot, basically doing nothing at all. Sadly, many old people are intimidated by the attendance of these youths.
However, the youths are aware of their unusual existence. In the article (2), one admits: “There ain’t nothing for us to do. We would rather be sitting the warm”.
This could be the problem exactly.

Compared to youths in the rest of Europe, young Britons are living much more “rough” lives. In a poll mentioned in the article it is stated: “Measured against German, French and Italian youngsters, British 15-year-olds are drunk more often and involved I n more fights, and a higher proportion have had sex.” (2)

Personally I’m thinking that this article should inspire British politicians to advance this cause, yeah, to make an effort to change this negative trend.

NOTES:
(1): - Explanation of the term “twoc” – taken without owners consent
(2):- Article made by BBC NEWS